Lake Kariba & Matusadona

Lake Kariba stretches 280 km along the Zambezi Valley on the Zimbabwe–Zambia border, created in 1959 by the Kariba Dam — at the time the world's largest man-made lake by volume. The lake is defined by its dramatic scenery: a vast expanse of blue water punctuated by the skeletal, bleached trunks of drowned trees that never fell, creating an otherworldly silhouette at dawn and dusk that is one of Zimbabwe's most photographed images.

The Zimbabwe shore (centred on the resort town of Kariba and the Matusadona National Park) is the more wildlife-rich side. Matusadona is one of Zimbabwe's most important national parks, protecting significant populations of elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino along a beautiful shoreline of hills and acacia woodland. The lake's waters are full of tiger fish — one of the most prized sport fish in Africa — and tiger-fishing tournaments draw anglers from across the continent.

Houseboating on Kariba is an iconic Zimbabwe experience. Charter houseboats are well-equipped and staffed, and drifting through coves lined with grazing buffalo, elephant drinking at dusk, and hippos surfacing beside the boat combines total relaxation with world-class wildlife viewing. Sunset on the lake — with the dead trees turning golden against a fiery sky — is among the most memorable travel experiences in southern Africa.